This invention pertains to methods for applying a voltage to a substrate during plating. This invention also pertains to apparatus for applying a voltage to a substrate during plating.
During various industrial processes one plates a material onto a substrate. For example, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/535,380 filed by Bajorek et al. discusses a process whereby one plates NiP onto a disk-shaped metallic substrate during the course of making a master or a stamper used during CD and DVD manufacturing. (The '380 provisional application is incorporated herein by reference.) Plating is performed during numerous other industrial processes, e.g. magnetic disk manufacturing.
During some plating processes, plating is “electroless”, i.e. a voltage is not applied to the substrate being plated. We have found that initiation of electroless plating can be enhanced by applying a “strike voltage” to the substrates. It would be desirable to provide plating apparatus that facilitates application of such a voltage.